HD Forum Italia Appoints Its Honorary Members
In its session on December 12th, the Board of Directors had the pleasure of designating, on its own initiative, six Honorary Members. The association’s statute reserves this appointment for individuals who have distinguished themselves in the fields of innovation and the dissemination of audiovisual technologies through academic studies, laboratory research, coordination of national or international technical standards groups, industrial achievements, and significant audiovisual productions. The following individuals have been appointed:
Franco Visintin
President of the Italian section of the Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers (SMPTE), he served as Director of the IBC Widescreen Festival in Amsterdam from 1995 to 2001. Until 1993, he was Deputy Director General of Vision-1250, the body responsible for promoting an HDTV European standard within the EEC. In his long career, he also served as Technical Director of Rai’s Milan production center from 1961 to 1995.
Vittorio Arrigoni
He spent much of his career at Rai. In his role as Deputy Director of Production with direction of the Engineering sector, he was a driving force in the development of shooting, production, and distribution technologies throughout his professional career, excelling in innovation and managing advanced production models, always prioritizing the right balance between technological choices and skill development. He played a fundamental role in the success of all major events broadcast by Rai, helping the company become a modern operator capable of competing in a complex market. His prestigious role as COO of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics crowned a high-profile career as a leading figure in Italian and international broadcasting. As General Director of IDS Multimedia, from 2006 to 2015 he represented the company as a Founding Member of HDFI and actively collaborated in the development of the Association.
Paolo Dalla Chiara
As head of external relations for Italy at Eutelsat and director of the Hot Bird TV Awards, he significantly contributed to the development of satellite TV in Italy. He was President and organizer of the SAT Expo International Exhibition, the most important European trade fair on digital and satellite telecommunications technologies. Founder and President of OpenSky (Internet via satellite), he was also a founding member of ASAS, the Association for ICT Services, Applications, and Technologies for Space. In 2005, he was among the promoters of the idea of forming an association to promote the coordinated development of High Definition in Italy. A year later, HD Forum Italia was founded.
Dario Edoardo Viganò
A film critic and communication theorist, he has taught at the Uninettuno International Telematic University, the Pontifical Lateran University, Lumsa, and Luiss “Guido Carli.” From 2004 to 2015, he was President of the Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo and director of the “Rivista del Cinematografo.” He served as Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication of the Holy See. He is Vice-Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. He is President of the MAC Foundation – Audiovisual Memories of Catholicism.
Manlio Cruciatti
A pioneering technician of Italian commercial TV, he began his career at Telemilano, the nucleus of what would become Fininvest and then Mediaset. He contributed to the creation of production studios in Milan 2, Cologno Monzese, Rome Palatino, and TeleCinco (Madrid). He was President of the Technical Industries section for Film and Audiovisuals at ANICA, member of the DVB Steering Board and the IBC Council, and President and board member of the Italian section of SMPTE. He was a member of AES, AEIT, IEEE, and ATIC.
Bianca Papini
An engineer, she began her career at the Telecom Italia Research Center in Turin. Actively involved in international standardization bodies (ETSI, ITU) for a long time, she started with issues related to telephone numbering and gradually moved towards service regulation aspects, playing a crucial role throughout the first switch-off process. After leaving Telecom, she continued her work in the sector, collaborating with Confindustria Radio TV.
The six new honorary members of HD Forum Italia all enthusiastically welcomed the announcement of their appointment, expressing their honor and willingness to contribute to the Association’s activities. For this reason, they receive a warm welcome from President Tonio Di Stefano, Secretary General Benito Manlio Mari, and the entire Board of Directors.